Karl Marx Biography (1818 - 1883)

Karl Heinrich Marx was born on May 5, 1818 in Trier, Germany
Middle class, Jewish family
Converted to Christianity
Studied law at the University of Bonn and University of Berlin
Engaged to Jenny von Westphalen
Became a journalist at a liberal newspaper in 1842
Moved multiple times: Berlin, Paris, London, etc
Involved in socialism
Wrote The Communist Manifesto

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Theorized that everyone should do equal work and receive equal benefits
Encouraged rebellion and how to do it
Wife and daughter died a few years before his death
Unhealthy during last ten years of life
Died March 14, 1883

A detailed biography can be found here

The Similarities are Undeniable

Old Major	Karl Marx
Oppressed under Mr. Jones	Oppressed under the Russian czar
Created Animalism	Created Communism
Believed every animal should be equal	Believed every person should be equal
Believed animals were working hard just to support Mr. Jones	Believed people worked hard just to support the few in power, including the czar
Sang "Beasts of England" to encourage animals	Wrote The Communist Manifesto to encourage people
Inspired Snowball and Napoleon to initiate revolution	Inspired Lenin and Stalin to start the Bolshevik Party
Died before animal revolution	Died before Russian revolution
Napoleon eventually forgot Old Major's ideal society	Stalin eventually forgot Marx's ideal society

Animal Farm Quotes

"Let us face it: our lives are miserable, laborious, and short. We are born, we are given just so much food as will keep the breath in our bodies, and those of us who are capable of it are forced to work to the last atom of our strength; and the very instant that our usefulness has come to an end we are slaughtered with hideous cruelty."

"No animal in England knows the meaning of happiness or leisure after he is a year old. No animal in England is free. The life of an animal is misery and slavery: that is the plain truth."

"Is it because this land of ours is so poor that it cannot afford a decent life to those who dwell upon it? No, comrades, a thousand times no!"

"Is it not crystal clear, then, comrades, that all the evils of this life of ours spring from the tyranny of human beings? Only get rid of Man, and the produce of our labour would be our own. What then must we do? Why, work night and day, body and soul, for the overthrow of the human race! That is my message to you comrades: Rebellion!"

"All men are enemies. All animals are comrades."

Old Major's Speech to the Animals

References

McDougal Littell. (1997). Animal Farm and Related Readings. Boston: Author.

Kreis, S. (2008, January 30). Karl Marx, 1818-1883. Retrieved from http://www.historyguide.org/intellect/marx.html

Katherine. (2005, January). Old Major-Karl Marx. Retrieved from http://boe.poca.k12.wv.us/pchs/Novels/animal%20farm/oldmajor.htm

WatchMiniScenes. (2010, September 16). Mini Scenes - Animal Farm - Part 1 [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tkC_-u0avo&feature=player_embedded

Image References

http://boe.poca.k12.wv.us/pchs/Novels/animal%20farm/oldmajor_files/image002.jpg

http://www.blogtecnisa.com.br/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/01/karl%20Marx.jpg

http://www.freebooksonline.info/author/admin

http://www.willisms.com/archives/2005/01/bush_the_anti-m.html

http://schoolworkhelper.net/page/86/

Old Major - Karl Marx